New fire chief named for NMSU

LAS CRUCES — The fire chief at New Mexico State University is a unique position.

In searching for the right candidate, NMSU's Facilities and Services Vice President Glen Haubold said an "extrememly wide background" was critical.

Haubold is confident that NMSU has its man in Mario Acosta, who will take over Monday as chief of the school's Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

"It's not just running the fire house," Haubold said. "We have student firefighters, which makes us unique anyway."

Beyond that, and among other duties, Haubold said the NMSU fire chief is the "codes authority" for the campus. So, the chief must have experience with building codes and managing all the events, year-round, at the Pan American Center and other venues.

Acosta, a 48-year-old Farmington native, brings that wealth of experience. That's one of the main reasons he beat out eight other "strong" candidates and three other finalists, Haubold said.

A ride-along program in Farmington spaked Acosta's interest in fire fighting. He has more than 25 years of experience, much of that in leadership and management positions for emergency medical services, safety and risk management, emergency management and communication centers

Acosta started with the Farmington Fire Department in 1986, then left in 2007 as the operations battalion chief. He worked in Arizona and California before landing at a station in suburban Seattle in 2010. Acosta most recently was the deputy fire chief of the Woodinville (Wash.

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) Fire and Rescue District until his position was eliminated this summer as part of budget cuts.

"I feel like we're coming home," said Acosta, who was driving Thursday afternoon on the road between Phoenix and Las Cruces — speaking through a hands-free device, of course.

Acosta has spent most of his life in New Mexico, and his wife and daughter are Aggies. His wife, Carrie, has been pursuing an online degree in human resources.

Acosta holds a master's degree in public management from Northern Arizona University and an undergraduate degree from Eastern New Mexico University.

NMSU's fire department, which falls under the purview of the county fire marshal, employs four career firefighters and 14 student firefighters.

Acosta said he fits at NMSU because of his training background. He said he used to oversee a program that taught older Boy Scouts, ages 16 to 21, skills that allowed them to become firefighters.

He said training and employee development are critical to him.

Acosta replaces Darrell Smith, who retired over the summer after serving at NMSU for more than 20 years. In his absence, Celso Enciso has served as interim chief.

James Staley may be reached at 575-541-5476. Follow him on Twitter @auguststaley